The success of the 2 bike clubs we have started at Nachal Oz & Kvar Aza have encouraged us to work with the mayor of the region along the Gaza border & try & create biking opportunities for all the children living in that dangerous regionThis fund raising effort involves a bike ride from Denver to Aspen which is 250 miles & corresponds to the length of Israel.
Supporters are asked to sponsor each mile from 10 cents/mile & up.
The ride is from June 23rd-27th 2011.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
What I Learned from Cycling from Denver to Phoenix
Trying to summarize this adventure is not easy. In time much will sink in but here are some final thoughts & observations.
I feel fortunate to have remained healthy before & during the trip. Before I left there was a lot of Swine flu around & I dreaded the thought of getting sick & having to cancel the ride after so much preparation.
I was lucky to have dodged most of the bad weather. There was snow before & after I left Denver. Getting through Colorado & over the mountain passes without snow was lucky. I must admit that I was always somewhat anxious before each days ride knowing I would be riding from after breakfast till close to dinner time almost every day.Most days presented special challenges including some or all of wind, rain,hard climbing,long distances & unfavorable road conditions & I admit that I never felt over confident.
Most of Colorado is well know to me & is of course lovely but northern Arizona was a surprise. The tribal territories were desolate but we got a better appreciation for the Native American people, their culture & their history. What an opportunity to develop solar & wind energy in those territories.
After the Grand Canyon, which defies description, we enjoyed the forests & the high altitude climate. Most of the area of northern Arizona is between 6,000-8,000 feet. It presents lots of climbing but much beauty. Arizona for us is no longer just Phoenix.
Flagstaff is a great little town & well worth the visit. Sedona is well known & enjoyed & we now know why. Jerome is an amazing town on the slopes of the Mingus mountains on the road from Sedona to Prescott & the scenery is spectacular even for Coloradans. Prescott claims to be the capital of Dude ranches & there some great golf courses in the area.
These long rides are, as with almost any challenge, a metaphor for life. Only difference is that it is concentrated & over quickly. Everyone has their list of 10 so here are mine. Things I learned & relearned;
1) Never try & visualize the whole days ride. It can appear overwhelming. Mentally one breaks the ride down into manageable segments. As each is accomplished one moves onto the next until the days ride is accomplished.
2) Long distance riding is an adventure. Bad weather & road conditions may force a change in plans. Enjoy the challenge & be flexible.
3) All hills look steeper from a distance.
4) Fear of the unknown should not dictate our actions.
5) Danger does not increase the further one is from our comfort zone.
6) Long distance riding is as much a mental as a physical challenge.
7) We can do more than we think we can.
8) Health as one gets older is a blessing. One should not waste it by physical inactivity & eating badly. Invest time in ones health every day.
9) Ageing is a process of diminishing physical ability. Exercise can slow this down but it takes more effort to be motivated.
The rewards are however obvious.
10) Don't give up anything you don't have to. Encourage both young & old to do what ever they can & resist the temptation to help unless absolutly necessary.
Let me end with a quotation attributed to an anonymous Indian source;
"I seek strength not to be greater than my brother but to fight my greatest enemy-myself"
So there it is. Only remains to add the last of the photos which I will do when I can get to an Apple store & they can show me how!
Thanks for reading!
I feel fortunate to have remained healthy before & during the trip. Before I left there was a lot of Swine flu around & I dreaded the thought of getting sick & having to cancel the ride after so much preparation.
I was lucky to have dodged most of the bad weather. There was snow before & after I left Denver. Getting through Colorado & over the mountain passes without snow was lucky. I must admit that I was always somewhat anxious before each days ride knowing I would be riding from after breakfast till close to dinner time almost every day.Most days presented special challenges including some or all of wind, rain,hard climbing,long distances & unfavorable road conditions & I admit that I never felt over confident.
Most of Colorado is well know to me & is of course lovely but northern Arizona was a surprise. The tribal territories were desolate but we got a better appreciation for the Native American people, their culture & their history. What an opportunity to develop solar & wind energy in those territories.
After the Grand Canyon, which defies description, we enjoyed the forests & the high altitude climate. Most of the area of northern Arizona is between 6,000-8,000 feet. It presents lots of climbing but much beauty. Arizona for us is no longer just Phoenix.
Flagstaff is a great little town & well worth the visit. Sedona is well known & enjoyed & we now know why. Jerome is an amazing town on the slopes of the Mingus mountains on the road from Sedona to Prescott & the scenery is spectacular even for Coloradans. Prescott claims to be the capital of Dude ranches & there some great golf courses in the area.
These long rides are, as with almost any challenge, a metaphor for life. Only difference is that it is concentrated & over quickly. Everyone has their list of 10 so here are mine. Things I learned & relearned;
1) Never try & visualize the whole days ride. It can appear overwhelming. Mentally one breaks the ride down into manageable segments. As each is accomplished one moves onto the next until the days ride is accomplished.
2) Long distance riding is an adventure. Bad weather & road conditions may force a change in plans. Enjoy the challenge & be flexible.
3) All hills look steeper from a distance.
4) Fear of the unknown should not dictate our actions.
5) Danger does not increase the further one is from our comfort zone.
6) Long distance riding is as much a mental as a physical challenge.
7) We can do more than we think we can.
8) Health as one gets older is a blessing. One should not waste it by physical inactivity & eating badly. Invest time in ones health every day.
9) Ageing is a process of diminishing physical ability. Exercise can slow this down but it takes more effort to be motivated.
The rewards are however obvious.
10) Don't give up anything you don't have to. Encourage both young & old to do what ever they can & resist the temptation to help unless absolutly necessary.
Let me end with a quotation attributed to an anonymous Indian source;
"I seek strength not to be greater than my brother but to fight my greatest enemy-myself"
So there it is. Only remains to add the last of the photos which I will do when I can get to an Apple store & they can show me how!
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Mission Accomplished!!
Day 16 of riding (Day 19 of the trip) & made the last nearly 60 miles to Phoenix in great shape! Averaged 15 miles per hour.
Left Wickenburg after breakfast in a really lovely old dining saloon with the old woodwok & stained glass windows with a floral design etc. It's a perk from spending time in these old little towns that one would normally just zip through if traveling by car.
Hazel took her time so that she could visit the museum later in the morning which she did & also stopped to look at Lake Pleasant which was 6 miles off the road so not for me. I took hwy 60 for the forst 10 miles. It is double carriage way, very busy & in bad shape. The shoulder I had to ride on was even worse. So it was a relief to turn off onto hwy 74 which had much less traffic & had a better surface. Also the scenery changed with the landscape dominated by the saguaro cactus. Looked like strange alein stick people from another planet. This road ws essentally straight for 30 miles & flat. First time I had a straight flat road all this trip. I made great speed. The road passed over Interstate hwy 17 & became Carefree Rd. This went on for another 12 miles before I was able to turn into Scottsdale Rd & ride the final miles into the lovely neighbourhood where cousin Phillip lives. His garden is a little oasis surrounded by desert. With bird feeders there are an amazing number of birds. All in all a great place to rest after a long ride. Amazing to think that after all the months of planning this adventure will now be something I will always remember as one of the special achievements of my life.
I feel great & fit. Lost only 2-3 pounds but look thinner so some of the weight is extra muscle. Had no injuries,took advil only twice after tough days in the early riding. So it shows that we can do a lot even as we get older. Our bodies with give us what we ask it to do after reasonable exercise & preparation (obviously within limits). Age really is relative. Health is the greatest blessing & I don't take it for granted. If I can do physical things I try & do them even if it requires more effort as one gets older. It is a positive cycle-energy in-energy out.
I like to also think of this ride as my contribution to the health care debate. Older folk exercising, eating age appropriate food & keeping out of the Dr's office as long as possible.
My thanks to many people who have encouraged & supported me. Hazel for sagging & her constant encouragement & love-I couldn't have done it without her help. All those who sponsored the ride with their generous financial support which will help buy bicycles for the kids living under constant threat along the border with Gaza. Please come to our event on Nov 8th at Bicycle Village in Aurora at 1pm & buy all your cycling needs at special discounts. Special thanks to Scott Primack whose very generous support ensures the success of our efforts.
Thanks to all for the prayers & positive vibs that helped speed me along & kept me safe. Thanks to Alan, Ira, Bill & Ted for riding some of the way with me & Judi for sagging the first 2 days.
Thanks to Ari for the power drinks & clothing that helped so much & all of you who followed the ride, for the phone calls, e.mails & comments on the blog.
Hope to see you all on Nov 8th at Bicycle Village.
I will write about my thoughts & what I have learned on this ride & include photos later.
Left Wickenburg after breakfast in a really lovely old dining saloon with the old woodwok & stained glass windows with a floral design etc. It's a perk from spending time in these old little towns that one would normally just zip through if traveling by car.
Hazel took her time so that she could visit the museum later in the morning which she did & also stopped to look at Lake Pleasant which was 6 miles off the road so not for me. I took hwy 60 for the forst 10 miles. It is double carriage way, very busy & in bad shape. The shoulder I had to ride on was even worse. So it was a relief to turn off onto hwy 74 which had much less traffic & had a better surface. Also the scenery changed with the landscape dominated by the saguaro cactus. Looked like strange alein stick people from another planet. This road ws essentally straight for 30 miles & flat. First time I had a straight flat road all this trip. I made great speed. The road passed over Interstate hwy 17 & became Carefree Rd. This went on for another 12 miles before I was able to turn into Scottsdale Rd & ride the final miles into the lovely neighbourhood where cousin Phillip lives. His garden is a little oasis surrounded by desert. With bird feeders there are an amazing number of birds. All in all a great place to rest after a long ride. Amazing to think that after all the months of planning this adventure will now be something I will always remember as one of the special achievements of my life.
I feel great & fit. Lost only 2-3 pounds but look thinner so some of the weight is extra muscle. Had no injuries,took advil only twice after tough days in the early riding. So it shows that we can do a lot even as we get older. Our bodies with give us what we ask it to do after reasonable exercise & preparation (obviously within limits). Age really is relative. Health is the greatest blessing & I don't take it for granted. If I can do physical things I try & do them even if it requires more effort as one gets older. It is a positive cycle-energy in-energy out.
I like to also think of this ride as my contribution to the health care debate. Older folk exercising, eating age appropriate food & keeping out of the Dr's office as long as possible.
My thanks to many people who have encouraged & supported me. Hazel for sagging & her constant encouragement & love-I couldn't have done it without her help. All those who sponsored the ride with their generous financial support which will help buy bicycles for the kids living under constant threat along the border with Gaza. Please come to our event on Nov 8th at Bicycle Village in Aurora at 1pm & buy all your cycling needs at special discounts. Special thanks to Scott Primack whose very generous support ensures the success of our efforts.
Thanks to all for the prayers & positive vibs that helped speed me along & kept me safe. Thanks to Alan, Ira, Bill & Ted for riding some of the way with me & Judi for sagging the first 2 days.
Thanks to Ari for the power drinks & clothing that helped so much & all of you who followed the ride, for the phone calls, e.mails & comments on the blog.
Hope to see you all on Nov 8th at Bicycle Village.
I will write about my thoughts & what I have learned on this ride & include photos later.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A beautiful scenic ride & 18 holes of golf.
Day 15 of riding-just one more day to go! At last a fairly easy ride through wonderful scenic country. A little over 60 miles & 5 hours on the road with just over 4 hours of riding. So I really was able to move at a good speed. About a 7 mile climb out of Prescott through the lodge pole forests that are so common in the high country of Arizona. I was happy to do the climbing as I knew I had 2,300 feet of climbing to do so rather get it over with early in the ride. The climbing was never much of a problem & the downhills were a blast with nearly 4,00 feet of descent. After the last climb it was great to know that it was the last of the trip. Tomorrow to Phoenix & it is a slow drop into the valley from Wickenburg where we are tonight at 2,200 feet to Phoenix at about 1,000 feet.
There were some lovely ranches & the way they were watering the pastures for the horses & cattle it is clear that there is no shortage of water. Apparently there is a large aquafer in these parts so water is plentyful. We stopped often to take pictures (which hopefully we will figure out how to get them onto this blog).
As we were in by 1:30pm we found a beautiful golf course at a resort called Los Caballeros near Wickenburg & managed to play 18 holes before dark. Hazel played well & broke 100 & thought this was one of the most beautiful courses she has ever played on. It was very lush & they said that they have plenty of water from the aquifer.
Then to Country Kitchen for dinner. They have a senior menu but i had to order 2 courses of meatballs & spagetti before I was satisfied!
So 950 miles done with about 50 more to go. I have directions to my cousin Phillip Melmed's home in Scottdale where we will stay for 3 nights & spend time with him & my cousins Dvora & Steve. Perhaps one more round of golf & then we drive back to Denver by the shortest route. Can't believe it is just about over. Will summarize my thoughts & feelings after tomorrows ride.
There were some lovely ranches & the way they were watering the pastures for the horses & cattle it is clear that there is no shortage of water. Apparently there is a large aquafer in these parts so water is plentyful. We stopped often to take pictures (which hopefully we will figure out how to get them onto this blog).
As we were in by 1:30pm we found a beautiful golf course at a resort called Los Caballeros near Wickenburg & managed to play 18 holes before dark. Hazel played well & broke 100 & thought this was one of the most beautiful courses she has ever played on. It was very lush & they said that they have plenty of water from the aquifer.
Then to Country Kitchen for dinner. They have a senior menu but i had to order 2 courses of meatballs & spagetti before I was satisfied!
So 950 miles done with about 50 more to go. I have directions to my cousin Phillip Melmed's home in Scottdale where we will stay for 3 nights & spend time with him & my cousins Dvora & Steve. Perhaps one more round of golf & then we drive back to Denver by the shortest route. Can't believe it is just about over. Will summarize my thoughts & feelings after tomorrows ride.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Biggest Climb of All
Day 17 was another hard day after a 2 day break in Sedona.
Sedona is a special place as many of you know with remarkable red rock formations & scenic drives in all directions. We played golf on a beautiful course, rode our bikes & took a drive through surrounding canyons. Yesterday we came upon a resort called "Enchantment" where we had tea. That was about all we could afford there! Rooms run from $350/night to about $2,000. It's setting in a canyon surrounded by magnificent hills is breathtaking. So we had a good rest & a great time.
I was thankful for my rested legs as today presented a few challenges. The distance was just over 60 miles but I was on the road for 7 hours with over 4,300 feet of climbing. 30 miles were easy but the other 30 kept me honest. This included the toughest climb of the trip up past the little town of Jerome & beyond for a total of about 15 miles. Then of course a wild ride down before I had the last 15 miles to Prescott. Once off the mountain & into the Prescott valley the wind hit. So although it was only about a 3-4% grade, with the wind I often was slowed to 4-5mph I have been concerned about this leg of the ride from the beginning & didn't expect the last few miles to be so hard. So at last all the major obstacles have been handled & I am grateful to be feeling strong & ready to complete this ride. So excluding the short ride from Flagstaff to Sedona there has not been an easy day
Tomorrow to Wickenberg about 70 miles & unless the wind is really bad it should be a reasonable day with a net elevation drop of 3,000 feet. The news here is full of the story of the wind & a few fires which are hard to control because of it The temperatures are comng down though, so by the time we finish in Phoenix it should be no warmer than the 80's- a big improvement from the 100's recently..
Sedona is a special place as many of you know with remarkable red rock formations & scenic drives in all directions. We played golf on a beautiful course, rode our bikes & took a drive through surrounding canyons. Yesterday we came upon a resort called "Enchantment" where we had tea. That was about all we could afford there! Rooms run from $350/night to about $2,000. It's setting in a canyon surrounded by magnificent hills is breathtaking. So we had a good rest & a great time.
I was thankful for my rested legs as today presented a few challenges. The distance was just over 60 miles but I was on the road for 7 hours with over 4,300 feet of climbing. 30 miles were easy but the other 30 kept me honest. This included the toughest climb of the trip up past the little town of Jerome & beyond for a total of about 15 miles. Then of course a wild ride down before I had the last 15 miles to Prescott. Once off the mountain & into the Prescott valley the wind hit. So although it was only about a 3-4% grade, with the wind I often was slowed to 4-5mph I have been concerned about this leg of the ride from the beginning & didn't expect the last few miles to be so hard. So at last all the major obstacles have been handled & I am grateful to be feeling strong & ready to complete this ride. So excluding the short ride from Flagstaff to Sedona there has not been an easy day
Tomorrow to Wickenberg about 70 miles & unless the wind is really bad it should be a reasonable day with a net elevation drop of 3,000 feet. The news here is full of the story of the wind & a few fires which are hard to control because of it The temperatures are comng down though, so by the time we finish in Phoenix it should be no warmer than the 80's- a big improvement from the 100's recently..
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